Miner s tool



(NO J. W' BRAYI l MINERS TOOL. No. 582,112. Patented May 4, 189|?.

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UVV-Elura@4 1 Q @Je ATTOR/v5 JAMES XVM. BRAY, OFASPEN, COLORADO.

MINERS TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.7582,1 12, dated May 4, 1897. Application filed SCptemher 22, 1896. Serial ll'o.` 606,670. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WM. BRAY, a citi* zen of the United States, residing at Aspen, i

in the county of Pitkin and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Miners7 Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to mining implements, and has particular reference to a tool for the use of miners when preparing a shot or blast, having for its object to associate or combine in one instrument several devices and accessories designed, arranged, and adapted to facilitate the operation, render it most effective, and obviate the likelihood of personal injury.

More particularlystated, the invention contemplates and includes a Candlestick or holder, suitable supports therefor, a fuse-cutter, powder and fuse splitters, a cap-crimping attachment, and a tamping spike or raminer. In absence of the devices enumerated, or any of them, miners are likely to resort to dangerous eXpedients while loadin holes for blasting purposes and when iiring the shot, often resulting in premature explosions and the loss of life or limbs. For instance, they sometimes carelessly attempt to crimp a cap upon its fuse by aid of their teeth-or to split powder upon the blade of a shovel, a drill, or other edged tool, and to overcome such tendencies the present invention has been made, combining in a simple single tool all devices and appliances necessary to the rapid and accurate loading and firing of a shot.

The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and whereon similar letters of reference indicate like parts wherever employed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 isaplan view of same; Fig. 3, a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 4t a transverse section taken on the line L 4, Fig. 2.

Reference being had to the drawings and letters thereon, A indicates the body of tool, provided at one end with a projecting pointed tamping spike or rammer B and at its opposite end with a suitable handle O, the latter being formed of the metal looped, as most clearly shown by Fig. 2, having its free end d overlapping and folded upon body A, of which it is a continuation. Upon the eX- tremity a of looped handle O is aflixed a cylindrical Candlestick or holder D, of relatively stiff sprin g material, broken by a longitudinal slit Z), permitting of expansion to accommo date candles of varying size, such expansion being effected by the aid of a thumb-lever c, integral with and projecting in a tangential direction from the cylindrical holder D at one side of slit ZJ therein.

On its upper surface adjacentto the terminus d of handle O the body A is provided with an upstanding lug E, divided by a continuous channel d through its longitudinal center. In the walls of this channel and in register with cach other are flaring depressions e e, serving the purposes of a fuse-cutter and a cap-crimper, as will later appear, while between same walls upon pivot f is journaled a supporting-hook F, having an integral knifeblade G, sheathed, when closed, by the lower portions of said walls. Hook F, near its base, is enlarged, as at f, and indented by a depression 7L, the converse in form of depressions c e, with which it is adapted at times to register, while forward of its pivot f knife G carries an additional shortblade II, also sheathed by the walls of lug E when in its normal position, as shown in dotted lines byFigs. l to 3.

At the rear end of lug E its central channel d is obstructed by a stop or bridge I, ar ranged to be engaged by the back of knife G, thus limiting its upward movement when hook F is raised, and the forward end of same lug contains a longitudinal pocket t', intersected by channel d and intended to receive the end of va fuse during the operation of splitting.

.I indicates a leaf-spring secured to the inside of looped handle C and engaging at its free end the hilt of knife G to retain it with its integral supporting-hook F normallyin the position shown by Fig; l of the drawings.

This being substantially a description of my invention, its use in the simplest and most ordinary methods of blasting is as follows: A fuse is first cut in the required length by placing same in the depressions e c of lug E and forcibly lowering the hook F until its coactin g depression 7L, descending between IOO the depressions aforesaid, shears or severs the fuse, thus resting transversely across the tool. One end of the fuse is then presented to the action of short blade II near the hilt of knife G by inserting same in the open end of pocket t at the front of lug E, whereupon the return of hook F to its normal position, Fig. 1, causes said blade H to descend and in so doing to split the fuse at its end for the purpose of receiving a grain of powder or. other fulminate to facilitate action of the fuse at instant of firing.

Blasting-powder or other explosives being selected may, if desired, be split when occasion requires upon the cutting edge of knifeblade G, capable of being projected from its sheath in the lower part of channel d each time the hook F is depressed. rlhe material having then been loaded into the hole properly drilled and prepared surrounds and embeds the split primed end of the firing-fuse, the latter projecting at its opposite end from the hole, -which is then ready for tamping or ramining. 'Damping-spike B is now called into action, serving as a simple rammer to pack suitable tamping material, such as clay, soft stone, or earth, into the hole above its charge and around the projecting fuse. This accomplished, the protruding end of fuse is furnished with a percussion cap crimped thereon by the depressions e and h in the walls of lug E and the shank of hook F, respectively, said depressions coacting to compress the edges of cap, when placed therein, as the hook F is gently lowered. The cap is then exploded in the usual manner, serving thro ugh the agency of its embeddedfuse to ignite the blasting material, and the shot is fired.

At all times the holder D may contain a candle for lighting purposes, held therein by the spring action of its cylindrical walls and projecting below, adapted to be fed up as it is consumed, thus keeping its center of gravity low. When thus serving only as a candlestick and not actually employed in the process of loadin a hole, the device may be supported either by the hook F, hung upon the wooden timbers or rocks of the mine, or bythe pointed tamping-spike inserted in a crevice of rock or the earth; but in either event it is obvious that a miner Working in the breast of a drift may thus receive light from one side or the other, as best suits his purposes.

This being substantially a description of my invention, it Will be understood that the foregoing statement of operation is merely by way of example, that the various steps enumerated may be greatly varied and changed in their order and manner of execution, and the arrangement of parts herein shown and described may be varied to suit different forms and conditions Without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention, which is as follows:

l. In a miners tool the combination with a body portion bearing a channeled lug, a tamping-spike and a handle, of a folding support pivoted in the channeled lug, and a knifeblade integral with said support adapted to be sheathed within the channeled lug, substantially as described.

2. In a miners tool the combination with a body portion bearing a channeled lug, a tamping-spike and a handle, of a folding support pivoted in the channeled lu g,and knife-blades upon said support at each side of its pivotal point, substantially as described.

3. In a miners tool the combination with a body portion bearing a tamping-spike and handle, of a channeled lug upon said body having a longitudinal pocket in its forward end, a hooked folding support pivoted in the channeled lug and knife-blades upon said support, both sheathed by the walls of said lug and one adapted to bisect the aforesaid pocket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES VM. BRAY. lVitnesses:

WILLIAM MASON, JAs. MCSKINNING. 

